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In a guest column for the American Constitution Society (ACS), Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Professor David A. Logan of Roger Williams University School of Law ask, "Could a New Supreme Court Justice Help Restore Fundamental Civil Liberties?"
March 22, 2016: President Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court of the United States, if confirmed, is an opportunity to restore important civil liberties that have been eroded over three decades of dominance by five...

This story by Michael M. Bowden originally appeared in the Summer 2008 edition of Amicus Magazine, predecessor publication to RWU Law Magazine. It is reproduced here in observance of Justice Scalia’s passing on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016.
A TRUE ORIGINAL(IST)It started at breakfast. After being glowingly introduced to assembled members of the Rhode Island bench and bar, Justice Antonin Scalia, the iconic conservative anchor of the U.S. Supreme Court for the past two decades, paused, surveyed the...

From the Providence Journal: "Scalia’s vitriol undercuts his influence" by Edward Fitzpatrick
July 3, 2015: [...] “When it comes to penning baroquely articulated vitriol, Justice Antonin Scalia may rival William Shakespeare,” Slate states, noting that his Obamacare dissent includes the terms “pure applesauce” and “jiggery-pokery” and his same-sex marriage dissent mentions “mummeries” and “judicial Putsch.” [...]
When the court ruled that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex...

From WPRO News Talk 630: "Gene talks with Dean Yelnosky about the Supreme Court's ruling on Same Sex Marriage."
WPRO's Gene Valicenti talks with Dean Yelnosky about the substance and implications of the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage.
To listen, click here.

June 30, 2015: The Supreme Court of the United States issued a major decision in a lethal-injection case on Monday – and it cites a standout law alumnus's student Note from Roger Williams University Law Review.
The student in question, Jesse Nason ’05, B.S. ’02, was valedictorian of his law class, and is now a partner with the law firm of Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum in Cranston, R.I. Prior, Jesse served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Justices of the Rhode Island Superior Court.
“I am...

Roger Williams University School of Law last week welcomed Donald B. Verrilli, Jr., 46th Solicitor General of the United States, for a “Fireside Chat” with Professor Jared Goldstein, a one-time Bristow Fellow in the Solicitor General’s Office.
Professor Goldstein began the conversation by asking if those who address the Solicitor General as “General” are incorrect. “I’m not a general,” Verrilli replied. As with the term “Attorney General,” he explained, the term goes back to England in the time...

Roger Williams University School of Law is pleased to welcome Donald B. Verrilli, Jr., 46th Solicitor General of the United States, for a “Fireside Chat” with Professor Jared Goldstein.
The event will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 4, 2015, in Room 283, the school’s Appellate Courtroom. Seating is limited. RSVP required to the Office of Programs & Events at lawevents@rwu.edu or (401) 254-4659.
The Solicitor General is the lawyer appointed to represent the U.S....

From WPRI Channel 12 Newsmakers: "Yelnosky on pensions"
May 11, 2014: Join WPRI's Tim White and Ted Nesi for a crisp, high-level discussion with RWU Law Dean Designate Michael Yelnosky about the current status pension reform litigation, both in Rhode Island and nationally.
For full story, click here.

From TURN TO 10 (WJAR): "Campaign finance ruling may invalidate RI law" by Bill Rappleye
APRIL 3, 2014: The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a limit on campaign donations, saying it is fundamental free speech. For candidates, it means rich people will be able to give to more candidates -- and that's Republican or Democratic. Opponents to the decision fear it will mean more influence for the wealthy, and Rhode Island may have to change its laws to match the new federal standards.
The ruling by the...

From the HUFFINGTON POST: "Sentenced To Life In Prison For A Nonviolent Crime" by Saki Knafo
For a Jan. 13 article on mandatory sentencing, also featuring Professor Zlotnick, click here.
Jan. 22, 2014: ... [In] the landmark case United States v. Booker in 2005 [...] the Supreme Court struck down the provision of the sentencing law requiring judges to follow the guidelines. It’s hard to know exactly how many federal inmates besides Walker are still serving life sentences issued under...

From the Providence Journal: "Merit selection among topics covered by retired Supreme Court Justice O'Connor in 'fireside chat' at Roger Williams law" by Associated Press with reports from Michael McKinney, Journal Staff Writer
Also see:
Sandra Day O'Connor on Citizens United (Associated Press)
BRISTOL, R.I., October 09, 2013 (AP) -- Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is starting off a visit to Rhode Island with a talk at the state's only law school.
O'Connor spoke before...

PROVIDENCE, August 7, 2013 – Governor Lincoln D. Chafee announced today that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan has accepted his invitation to participate in a “Charter Forum” which will highlight the role of Rhode Island’s 1663 Colonial Charter in shaping American jurisprudence. The event will take place on August 20, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. at the Chace Auditorium, Trinity Repertory Theatre, 201 Washington St., Providence. The event is sponsored by Roger Williams University School of Law....

From RHODE ISLAND LAWYERS WEEKLY: "Supreme Court ruling levels playing field for developers, Gov't loses leverage" by David Frank
July 25, 2013 [July 29, 2013, issue] - Land use attorneys across the state are hailing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that greatly reduces the amount of leverage municipalities can wield in granting developers permits.
A 5-4 majority in Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District held that the U.S. Constitution's takings clause not only applies to cases in which...

From the Washington Post: "NRA money helped reshape gun law" by Peter Finn
March 13, 2013: In 1977 ... it was ... a wacky notion: that the Constitution confers an individual right to possess a firearm. ...
More than 35 years later, no one is laughing. In 2008, the Supreme Court endorsed for the first time an individual’s right to own a gun in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. ...
For proponents of stricter gun control, the NRA’s encouragement of favorable legal scholarship has been a...